Aperitivi

Recently, on a vacation in Chicago, some family members let us stay in their home. Charlie and I rolled up our sleeves on our final night in the city. As a "thank you" gesture, we treated our hosts to a home-made dinner. A request was put in for a lighter meal, which immediately made us think of our many aperitivi in Milano.

What is "aperitivi", one might ask? Perhaps you have heard of similar versions hailing from other cultures. For example, Spainish small plates (tapas) or Greek appitizers (mezes) are in the same category as Italian aperitivi. The principal is the same: Snacks to be shared in a group accompanied by wine to satisfy one until the later dinner hour.

Spring has sprung! Asparagus, naturally, was the first item purchased. This started our "wave of ideas" for all of our aperitivo items:

Roasted Asparagus - Red Pepper Salad

Olive Oil Seared Scallops

Crostini with crushed Herbs and Melted Buffalo Mozzarella

Grape Tomato, Feta, and Almond Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Rocket dressed with Oil, Sea Salt, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts

Chilled White Wine


The funniest thing to happen to us on this cooking adventure was the space. The Piccolo Gourmet was no longer "piccolo". The kitchen was the largest in which we have worked. In fact, despite cooking in the space of our dreams, we still worked close together out of habit.

So now that warm weather is upon us, get out to your market and enjoy that special, seasonal produce. Such savoured ingredients, like asparagus, are available at their peak for short windows of time.

Making aperitivi is a great concept to springboard from. Having multiple plates makes even the smallest meal feel more "upscale". And think of how you can use ingredients in a different way. A single mushroom is a bore, but by simply stuffing the cap with a filling, you create something elegant in a matter of seconds. Enjoy those warm breezes that are upon us, and good luck creating light bites in celebration of summer!